Home Away From Home

Chapter 27

The next day was completely unexpected. Valerie woke up to her babies crying like crazy. She tried to calm them down, but they kept crying. It was four am and Valerie had barely slept after Nick left. She felt their faces and it was burning hot. She had no one to call and ask what she should do, so she drove to the hospital.

Nick woke up panting, as if he knew something bad has happened. His bunk mate heard him, so he woke up.

"Nick, are you okay?" He asked. Nick couldn't answer. No words were able to come out of his mouth because of how scared he was. His bunk mate, Stan, jumped down from the top bunk. He looked at Nick. "Nick?"

"Hm?" Nick looked up at him.

"Are you okay?"

"I don't know, I had this horrible dream. The house was on fire and Val, the kids, and Zack all burned to death and I was here instead of there, protecting them."

"Nick, they're all fine. You're worrying too much, and you are protecting them. You are here, protecting them from the bad people."

"It's not the same." He shook his head.

"You have four more months and you can go back to your family and never have to come back here."

"But the thing is, I love doing this, but I can't stay here. My family needs me, and I need them." They heard the horn to wake up.

"Soon you'll be with them, but now we have things to do." They got up and got ready.

Valerie was holding Anthony in her arms while Emma was being checked by the doctor. She was nervous and she needed Nick to comfort her, to hold her hand and tell her it was all going to be okay. The doctor came back in the room with Emma.

"Is everything okay?" She asked. She already knew that Anthony was fine because the doctor already checked him, but Emma was gone longer then Anthony was.

"She just has a little cold. Anthony was crying because he heard his sister cry. Take them home and cover Emma with many blankets. Take this medicine and give it to her before she falls asleep and when she wakes up. Make sure she stays away from Anthony till her temperature starts going down, you don't want him catching it."

"But what did she get it from?"

"The weather, she caught it from the cold air. Take her home and do as I said and come in next week for another check up."

"Thank you, doctor." She put them both in the stroller.

"No problem, Valerie. And this is for you." He handed her a paper.

"What's this?" She read it and looked up at him. "Get some rest?"

"Yes, you need it."

"But-"

"No buts, that is your medicine." She smiled and walked to her car. She drove home and put Anthony in his crib and gave Emma her medicine. She covered her up and watched them till they fell asleep. She then went to her bed and her eyes eventually closed as she thought of Nick's face.